I have so many ideas and visions of things I’d like to make happen. One of the things that helps me tremendously is having a role model to follow as a guide to get me started.
One of my goals is to create an edible landscape. I want to grow foods that can’t be found in the mainstream markets. I want to grow gourmet foods that are fresh picked and organic. Not only is the food highly nutritious and beaming with enzymes, but it’s pretty fun to watch your little “babies” grow.
I always knew I wanted to grow a few fruit trees and have a little veggie garden, but in 2007 I decided I wanted to grow an edible landscape. I was turned on to two people who have given me lots of inspiration.
The first is the Dervae Family who are here in So Cal. I have actually had the pleasure of seeing their home, meeting them and learning from them. Their home is similar to mine. I have a small lot that I am working with so I find them a great role model for me to use as a source of inspiration in creating my edible landscape. They have a great website called “Path to Freedom” with daily journal entries of life in their world. I love it! I also love their social networking site of Freedom Gardeners!
Check out this quick clip on what they have going on!
Another huge source of inspiration was the book Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy. She took the basic landscaping tools and created homes that had just as much beauty in the design, but with edibles. The book is pretty old, but she is actually coming out with a newer version in Spring of 2010! I can’t wait to check it out. I am a sucker for books! Here is her latest project:
This is a typical So Cal home that shows me how I can get high density fruit trees planted in my small yard! I have no experience in espaliering, but it looks pretty simple.
So, I have been weeding, composting, building raised beds, vertical frames, digging up part of my front yard and mulching seedlings. Trust me, you don’t want to see my manicure or my farmers tan! I realize it is a lot of work and it takes lots of time. Soil is the biggie and I have bulldozed clay soil. It’s like concrete. I am working with raised beds until I can improve the soil. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and like it’s going to take a lifetime to get things into place, but I keep hearing that song in my head…you know….. this one…”inch by inch, row by row….” Bring on The Muppet Days! 🙂
Ok, it’s kinda cheesy, but I swear, that song sticks in my head when I am overwhelmed and I know…little by little…I’ll get there! 😉 Soon I’ll be posting photos and videos of what I have been working on. 🙂
If you have a garden I wanna know about it. Post your links below or in the comments!
Any woman who has ever yearned to give her child the very best start in life possible…
Any mother who has felt the need to go against the grain of society’s standard parenting protocol because she knew there was a better way to live and to love…
Any mother who has ever questioned the status quo and believed that life and parenthood and the health of children could be better than it is, then what I am about to show you is something you’ve been waiting for.
“The Raw Mom Summit” is an online event starting on June 22nd and ending on June 30th. For 9 days and 9 nights the wisdom, experience and understanding of over 30 passionate health pioneers and some of the world’s leading experts in alternative health, are bringing their voices together in the name of building healthy families and empowered leaders of the next generation.
You can learn more about this FREE online event by clicking HERE.
Chances like this don’t happen every day.When you sign up for THIS, you’re a part of history in the making. Anyone who registers for this event will look back on it as an experience that transformed they way they think about life, love and parenting.
If you leave it until the last minute and miss your chance to be a part of this, you’ll regret it. It’s a FREE program and I highly recommend you SIGN UP and invite your friends and loved ones to do the same by forwarding them this announcement.
Here’s to the the next generation’s right to lead empowered, healthy lives beyond what we can imagine today.
In love and health,
Lori
P.S. Keep in touch, because I’d love to hear what you think of the calls as they happen!
As many of you know I am a mother of 2 children. My son, Alex just had his 13th birthday and my daughter, Mehgan is almost 11. “School” has just ended for the summer. We have now offically completed our 3rd year of homeschool and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am focused on preparing my kids for the real world and am interested in teaching them the things that I find are missing in traditional school systems such as health, enjoying life, and sharing your passion. Entrepreneurship is something we are learning together. I only wish I had this as a kid growing up, but it’s never too late. As a homeschooling mother, I find that learning is everywhere!
Over the years we have made many changes towards living a healthier lifestyle. Being a single working mom presented some challenges also. However, we have been able to accomplish so many of our goals. As we go along, it seems more opportunities for growth and improvement are constantly being presented. Who knows where it will lead us next.
About a month ago, I was humbled to be invited by Shannon Leone and Tera Warner of RawMom.com for the up-coming Raw Mom Summit. We spent an hour talking about transitioning my children who were used to eating the SAD diet (Standard American Diet) into a high raw diet. As many of you know, I have also been working on my bikini body challenge. I make it a priority to workout very regularly and stay very active. In my interview, I share my tips for staying fit as a busy mom. As a mom it is important for me to give my kids the best support and upbringing for a successful future and I share resources that helped us along the way.
I am amazed by all the wonderful information available on The Raw Mom Summit webpage . Shannon has compiled in over 30 interviews with such an incredible and diverse group of people. Please check out http://www.rawmomsummit.com/ and see how valuble these interviews are to mothers.
RAW MOM SUMMIT Starting MONDAY JUNE 22nd, 2009
What if you could gather together some of the most inspirational health leaders in the world and get them together in the same place for 9 days to discuss the subjects of nutrition, pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and other family health care issues?
What if you could get YOUR concerns addressed about how to succeed on a healthy diet or how to feed your children the best food? What if you could finally get answers to your questions about:
* What to do about Fertility, Ovulation and Conscious Conception? * How to prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy, Labor and Childbirth? * What is Attachment Parenting? * Which natural remedies to use when your children are sick? * How to feed a meat-eating partner if you are vegetarian or vegan? * What should you feed yourself when you’re overwhelmed with cravings? * How to get kids excited and involved in their own food-prep? * What to do when our kids rebel against our healthy diet? * What is going on with the Bees and why is it so important? * How to shrink our Carbon Footprint? * What is Sustainability and Permaculture? * What Super Foods are BEST for kids? * Exactly what IS the healthiest diet? * What are the best ways to Raise Children Naturally? * What are the lesser-known common pit-falls of a Raw Food Diet? * Which foods help or hinder our Hormones? * What are the issues around Veganism, B-12 and Protein? * What do Raw children eat? * How to get picky eaters to crave their veggies? * Which foods help kids transition and stick to a healthier diet? * What are the other Top Lifestyle Factors besides diet for longevity?
What if you could get the answers to all these questions and a WHOLE LOT MORE while washing dishes in your pajamas and bouncing a babe on your hip at the same time?
Sound too good to be true?
Well, not if we’re talking about an exciting new event that has been put together by two self-employed mothers with the spunk and determination to get these questions answered by some of the most outstanding experts in the world!
“It’s time to bring together the Leaders in our community and inspire women as the heartbeat of their homes, to be the change we NEED to see in the world. It’s time that we tell the world that the Evolution of Motherhood has arrived!”
My Fitness Goals To have a lean long body that looks hot in a bikini, also to have the athletic ability to surf, dance, and snowboard. I do not want to compromise athletics for aesthetics.
My Current Stats Age: 32 Height: 5’5.25″ Weight: 126.8 lbs. Body Fat: 22.8% ( 29 lbs of fat)* BMI: 21 Measurements: Bust: 35″, Waist: 27″, Navel: 29.50″, Hips: 37.75″, Thigh: 22.50″, Upper Arm: 11.25″, Calf: 13.50″
Ideal Body Composition Weight: 113 Body fat: 16% ** BMI: 18.7 Measurements: Bust: 34″, Waist: 25″, Hips: 35″
The Difference Weight: 14 lbs. Body fat: 6.8% BMI: 2.3 Measurements: Bust: 1″, Waist: 2″, Hips 2.75″
Because I am female I have higher estrogen and lower testosterone. This means it takes women longer to gain a pound of muscle than it does for men. On average, it takes men 2 weeks to gain a pound of muscle and for women it takes about 4 weeks. Lean muscle raises the metobolic rate. 1 lb. of muscle burns 35-75 calories a day. Therefore, if I gained 8 lbs. of muscle, I would be burning 280-600 more calories a day, which would allow me to get more nutrient into my body.
Workout Plan 3-4 hours of dance class a week (latin & hip hop) for fun cardio. 1-2 times a week swimming to build upper body strength for paddling when I surf 3 hours of yoga for strength and range of motion. 3: 30 minute strength training sessions (Day 1: core, Day 2: lower body, Day 3: upper body)
During strength training I am to maintain a target heart rate range of 136-146, with ideal at 141 (according to my age). 80% of my strength training should be with free weights because they recruit more muscle fibers than machines. 20% should be on machines so I can keep proper form and my heart rate up between exercises. The machines would be a bit of a support and provide a bit of rest from the free weight exercises.
Stay posted for my fitness analysis video on cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility. This should be fun and quite possibly embarrassing. 🙂
* Figuring my pounds of fat by multiplying my weight (127) by my body fat% ( 22.8) and dividing that number by 100. This gave me a reading of 29 (technically 28.9) pounds of fat are on my body.
** Dr. Douglas Graham recommends for women about 13-19% body fat.
If you are running through life feeling overwhelmed and not really making the impact you know you want, or wishing you felt alive and filled with passion then you are going to LOVE me!
